Zero (13 page)

After twenty minutes, he knew she wasn’t there and left making his way to her house. She didn’t live with her mother. The house was small and had homes on either side of her. He couldn’t imagine living in such a small home.

Not all people have the luxury The Skulls offer you.

Knocking on the door, he stepped back and waited. A light was switched on, and then Cheryl opened the door. The lock stopped her from opening the door wide. “Butch? What are you doing here?”

“I had to come and see you,” he said.

She looked past him. “It’s really late.”

“Something is going down at the club.” He stopped himself from spilling everything. Why did he feel at ease telling her everything? Clenching his teeth together, he glanced down at the ground. “Look, I won’t hurt you. I just need to see you.”

“I don’t know you.”

“I won’t hurt you.” He stepped close to her, wishing he could touch her.

Back off, you’ll scare her.

Cheryl stared at him for several minutes before she closed the door. He heard the lock being moved, and then the door opened again. “I don’t know why I’m doing this.” She moved out of the way letting him pass.

“I swear I won’t hurt you.”

Why was he here?”

She took him toward her small kitchen. He saw a table with two chairs on either side. “Is your son in bed?”

“Yeah, he’s in bed.”

He watched her move to the kettle, filling it with water from the tap before returning it back to start heating.

“I work at the church. It doesn’t mean you can come here all the time,” she said, rubbing her hands down her sides. Did he make her nervous? “I let you in because you’re a Skull. I know you’re not going to hurt me.”

“I wouldn’t hurt you. I wanted to see you. Where is your man?”

“I don’t know. He wanted nothing to do with me when he knocked me up. It’s just my son and me.” She turned away to look at her counter. Cheryl took a cloth, wiping away some dirt. He stared at her back seeing how long her hair was. The length surrounded  her.

“What are you doing working at the church?”

“I may be a single mother, but it doesn’t mean I can’t work at the bloody church.” She placed his cup in front of him, taking a seat opposite.

“Whoa, I wasn’t saying shit.”

She glared at him. “I work at the church because it makes
me
feel good. I like it.” Cheryl took a sip of her drink, looking down at the table.

“The father just upped and left you?”

“Yeah. He was all for the planting but not for the growing and anything else.”

Butch frowned. “Have you just compared having a kid to a plant growing?”

“It’s not much different.”

“You’re something else, Cheryl.”

He caught the smile she was hiding by her cup. Yep, he was truly fucked.

Chapter Seven

One week into the lockdown and Alan wasn’t anywhere in sight. Whizz was having no luck in finding out what happened to him immediately after the accident. Hacking into the hospital records close to the burn site brought the identity of Alan, or at least a John Doe with need for surgery to the face, back along with the burns. From the documents, Alan hadn’t given away his identity, and they’d only caught onto the description of the damage from what Zero told Whizz. After one year in the hospital, John Doe was transported out of the country where he just disappeared off the map. There was no other record of his progress. From the looks of it, Alan had found someone to take care of his needs without having it documented.

It was easy to do providing the person had funds. Not all of Alan’s funds were known. Whizz was going through different countries, but hacking into private systems took time. Not only was Whizz working on his identity and where he’d be, he was helping with protection, taking time away from the computer.

Alex was trying to work with Ned to find out all they could. They were looking for a man who disappeared ten years ago to never be seen again. There was only so much Whizz could get out of the computer. They were all pulling their weight in trying to find out the answers to the mystery. Zero heaved out the trash as he watched Prue look after the kids. It was lockdown, but Tiny was letting them all out to play. The gates were locked, and they were not having any customers on their mechanic side.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, he watched Prue push one of the kids in a swing. It looked like Darcy, Blaine’s daughter. What would it be like having a kid with Prue? Their nights were spent not talking about the obvious attraction between them. More times than not she woke up to his rock hard cock digging in her ass. He knew she did as he was awake most of the time. She didn’t knee his balls though.

“She’s something special,” Sophia said, standing beside him.

He glanced toward the woman he’d had a crush on for the good part of the year. Since Prue had entered his life again he hadn’t give Sophia much of a thought. Fuck, he hadn’t even noticed that he wasn’t looking at the other woman. When the fuck did that happen?

He returned his attention to Prue. “Yeah, she really is.”

“I hope there are no hard feelings.” Sophia smiled up at him. “We would never have worked, and I imagine you know that.”

“You’re Nash’s woman.”

“No, it’s not just because I’m Nash’s woman.” She looked at Prue then back at him. “You’ll figure it out soon enough.”

What was it with people around him telling him to figure shit out when it came to Prue?

When he heard her giggling and laughing, he turned to see what had caused her to be so happy. He saw her on the ground surrounded by kids. His heart filled with joy at the sight before him.

“See, she means more to you than you even realize.” Sophia touched his arm, smiled at him, then moved away. He followed her movements, unsure what the feeling was clawing in his gut. Instead of following after Sophia, he made his way toward Prue as she called to him far more than Sophia. Tugging one of the little ones off, he spun the little guy around. Darcy was laughing as she tried to tickle Prue.

“Save me,” Prue said, pressing a hand to her forehead. “They’re attacking me. My prince, save me from these little people.”

In no time at all Zero was laughing along with all the kids and Prue. Messing around, he ended up on the floor right alongside Prue. Only when Eva shouted “lunch” did the kids scamper off. Darcy wrapped her arms around her neck. “I really like you, Aunty Prue. Don’t leave.”

The little girl was gone, and Prue let out a sigh.

“I really like you as well. I don’t want you to leave.” He took hold of her hand, locking their fingers together. She tightened her grip around his palm. Zero wanted her to stay with him in Fort Wills.

“I like being here with you. My life is not here though. I’ve got a life away from all of this.” They’d gone to her house the day after they shared a bed. He’d looked at her collection of pictures of the three of them together. It was her, him, and Trevor against the world after her parents died.

“I don’t want you to go home.”

“Zero,” she said, about to move.

He held her hand tighter, stopping her from leaving his side.

“No, listen to me. I don’t want you to go. This has nothing to do with Alan. He’s a problem, but him being here has made me realize how much I miss you. I miss this.” He pointed his hand up at the sky. The clouds were drifting by in the blue sky.

“That one looks like a duck,” she said, pointing straight up.

“I thought it looked like a man with a big cock.” He titled his head to the side.

“Everything to you has a big cock. You’ve not changed at all, have you?”

Zero held her hand tighter. They pointed at clouds saying what they thought they were. Prue’s ideas were tame enough to be heard by children. His would need an adult censor.

“You’ve got a dirty mind,” she said, sitting up. “You’re always changing the conversation.”

He didn’t let go of her hand and got to his feet. Zero led her over to the swings.

“Do you have any idea how big my ass is?” she asked, looking at the seat then over at him.

“Stop being a pain in my ass. That’s Tate’s job. Sit down.”

She rolled her eyes and took a seat. Moving behind her, he placed his hand on her back. Zero didn’t push her. Placing his hand on her back, he stayed close. “I’m not going to give up on this,” he said.

“On what?”

“On you staying in Fort Wills.”

“There’s nothing here for me.”

Giving her a gentle push, he watched her start to move. Using both palms, he applied pressure each time she swung back to him. Her hands held the metal chain tightly.

“There’s me. I’m here for you.”

“You’d scare away all potential dates. I would never get some light relief for my needs.”

Teeth clenched, he slowly brought her to a stop. He stepped in front of her, sinking his fingers into her hair. “Why are you trying to test me?”

“I’m not trying. I’m succeeding.” She smiled and stuck her tongue out.

Breaking the distance between them, Zero slammed his lips on top of hers. He heard her gasp seconds before he slid his tongue into her mouth. With his free hand, he cupped her cheek, stroking the tips of his fingers down to caress her neck. Her pulse pounded against his fingers.

Zero didn’t want to let go.

Deepening the kiss, he watched her close her eyes and tilt her head to the side. Fisting his hand in her hair, he tugged on the length hearing her moan. She liked the bite of pain, did she? He could work with that.

Her legs were open, and he slid between them. He moved his fingers from her neck down to stroke her breast. Her nipple was rock hard to the touch.

Pulling away, he waited for her to open her eyes. They were smoky, lust filled green eyes staring back at him. Was she as fiery as her red hair? Zero had a feeling she would rival any flame between the sheets.

Prue would be a true gem to possess and own.

“We could have this together,” he said, sliding his fingers down her stomach to reach the waistband of her jeans. Her breath heaved with each indrawn breath she took.

Releasing her hair, he stroked a finger over her bottom lip.

“You’ve got a thing for Sophia. I will not be some piece of ass you use to satisfy your need for her.”

“This is not about Sophia,” he said.

“Yeah?”

He nodded.

“I’ve heard them talk, Zero. You’ve had a crush on her, thought yourself in love with her, for the better part of a year.” He listened to every word she spoke, detecting the pain she felt. “We’ve been together for over two weeks, nearing three. How can you fall out of love with someone that fast?”

“I’m not in love with Sophia.”

“The shiner Nash gave you is proof to me you overstepped the line. I’m not as dumb as you think I am. Every time we were together and you talked about this club, I listened.” She pushed some hair out of her eyes. He held the chains, refusing to back away. “You talked about Sophia, especially in drink. You said her beauty would never be rivaled.”

“I was drunk.”

“And yet it was how you felt. I’m not stupid, Zero.”

“I don’t want you to go. There is something between us.”

She placed her hand on his chest and pushed. He took a step back and another as she got to her feet. “We may have attraction, but I will not be the second choice because the woman you really want is not available to you. I care about you.”

“What do I have to do to show you?” he asked.

“Prove to me she doesn’t affect you anymore.”

“How the fuck do I do that?”

He watched as she made to walk away.

“I don’t know. I guess I’ll know when I see it.” She spun away and headed back to the clubhouse.

“Fuck,” he said, shouting the word aloud. Butch walked up to him, smiling.

“I take it your woman doesn’t accept any of your shit.” Butch lit a cigarette, sitting down on one of the swings.

“What are you doing out here?” he asked.

“They’re attempting to feed a pack of animals. I tell you, there is nothing scarier than seeing a bunch of kids hungry.” Butch shivered as he stared somewhere past Zero’s shoulder. “What’s up with Prue?”

“She doesn’t want to fuck me because she thinks I’ve got a thing for Sophia.”

“You
have
got a thing for Sophia,” Butch said, frowning at him. “Fuck, the whole club knows you’ve got a thing for that woman. The only one who didn’t know was Sophia, and Nash soon put her in the know. She’s been avoiding you for some time.”

Couldn’t have been avoiding him that much. She was fucking talking to him earlier.

“It’s not what you think. I’m not in love with her.” Zero didn’t know what to say to make Prue realize he was telling the truth. Something had struck him hard being around Prue for so long. Was that it? Being around Prue made him understand his feelings for another?

Crap, he didn’t understand what the fuck was going on.

“What’s up your ass?” Zero asked, changing the subject.

“Nothing. I’m more than happy with life.”

Whatever, asshole.

Zero was jealous at the happiness in his friend’s face. He would be happy when Prue finally gave him a chance.

****

Prue helped with the dishes while cursing Zero and his stupid, weak attempt to seduce her. She had been approached in the playground by nine year olds with more charisma than he just displayed. Picking up the last plate, she dried it viciously before putting it on the pile of others.

“Stupid, fucking asshole,” she said, muttering the words underneath her breath.

“Whoa, who has you pissed off?” Tate asked, walking into the room. She carried a glass of water.

“Nothing.” Prue wasn’t in the mood for whatever this bitch had to throw at her.

“I’m calling a truce,” Tate said, holding her hands out in front of her.

“What?”

“I can’t get Murphy to tell me what’s going on. My dad refuses, and Eva is following his lead. Everyone stops talking when I enter a room. It irritates me. I don’t like it.”

“I’m not going to tell you anything,” Prue said, pointing at her chest. “I’m new here. Tiny looks like a scary guy. I’m not going to do anything to piss him off. If you want the truth then you’re going to have to get it out of them.”